By late May, seven universities had offered Kris Williams scholarships to play football. Yet he kept his fingers crossed, hoping for another from the one he really wanted.

By late May, seven universities had offered Kris Williams scholarships to play football. Yet he kept his fingers crossed, hoping for another from the one he really wanted.

When Texas Tech came through last week, Williams decided his recruitment was over. The Dallas Bryan Adams linebacker pledged to the Red Raiders on Sunday.

"Ever since Michael Crabtree went to Tech, I really started liking them when he was there," Williams said. "When I was younger, I said, 'That's the school I want to go to.' All through high school, I said, 'If Texas Tech offers me, I think I'm going to commit.' It's always been my favorite school."

Williams is 6-foot-2 and recently weighed in at 202 pounds, said Bryan Adams coach Derick Roberson, who deployed Williams on both offense and defense.

"His greatest attribute - two things, really - he's very versatile and very athletic," Roberson said, "but he also plays with a lot of tenacity. He's real mild-mannered, real quiet off the field, but he displays a lot of tenacity and a nasty disposition when he's playing."

Arizona State, California, New Mexico, Nevada, SMU, Arkansas State and Texas-El Paso are the other schools who offered Williams scholarships. He said he was thinking most seriously about Cal before Tech assistant coach Robert Prunty made him an offer last week. He accepted on Sunday at a Red Raiders satellite camp in Rockwall.

"It's like a dream come true," Williams said. "I've been working hard my whole life, and the hard work paid off, and my dream school offered me."

Last season, Williams was credited with 41 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, six sacks, two pass breakups and two caused fumbles. As a wide receiver, he led Bryan Adams with 32 pass receptions for 423 yards and three touchdowns, standing out on a 2-8 team that competes in District 12-4A.

The Red Raiders are recruiting him to play linebacker in their 4-2-5 defense.

"They told me I'm athletic enough to go both ways, but they want me as a linebacker," Williams said. "I didn't have a problem with that. I told them I'll play wherever they need me to play as long as I can play for Tech and make an impact at some position."

Williams started at defensive end the last two years in the Cougars' 4-3 defense, Roberson said, and will play outside linebacker this season. Roberson said he thinks Williams would be talented enough to play strong safety in Tech's defense, too, if the Red Raiders wanted him to.

"He has long arms and, I think, the frame to carry 220, 230 pounds and still maintain his speed," Roberson said. "Take another year or so with the nutrition they're going to give him and the workouts, there's no telling how good he can be."